Taylor Swift‘s absence from the 2025 American Music Awards is reportedly linked to the ongoing drama involving Blake Lively.

Once close friends, Swift found herself entangled in Lively’s legal battle with her “It Ends With Us” co-star, Justin Baldoni. The situation escalated when the singer was unexpectedly hit with a subpoena related to Baldoni’s countersuit, though it was eventually withdrawn.

Now, reports say the spotlight surrounding the feud forced Taylor Swift’s decision to skip the ceremony, as she wanted to avoid the inevitable media questions about the saga.

Swift’s absence from the 2025 American Music Awards came as a surprise to her die-hard fans, especially since she was nominated in six different categories.

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Although Swift didn’t end up winning any awards, fans had hoped she would at least make a virtual appearance and possibly use the moment to announce the release of her highly anticipated “Reputation” (Taylor’s Version) album.

It has now been revealed that she intentionally skipped out on the event to avoid having to answer questions about the legal feud she was dragged into by her former bestie, Blake Lively.

“She avoided the AMAs because she didn’t want to deal with 1000s of questions about the Blake Lively saga,” a source told the Daily Mail, referencing Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.

“It is all anyone wants to talk about, and Taylor is really tired of it,” the insider further explained.

According to the insider, the entire drama with her former best pal has gotten to her neck, and she is now very keen to “move on” and doesn’t want to “keep dealing with it.”

However, for a time, that seemed unlikely, as Swift was subpoenaed by Justin Baldoni’s legal team in connection with claims tied to his $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively.

In the wake of the subpoena, a representative for Swift came forward to explain that she was never involved in any of the “casting or creative decisions” for “It Ends With Us.”

“She did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024, headlining the biggest tour in history,” Swift’s rep shared at the time, per People Magazine.

While the withdrawal of the subpoena likely brought Swift some relief, it was reportedly not done in response to the intense backlash Baldoni and his legal team faced over the move.

Instead, sources claim they had already obtained what they wanted from Swift, as someone in her inner circle reportedly handed over proof that Lively’s legal team had “threatened to leak” private messages between the actress and Swift if the singer didn’t publicly support her.

Later on, another insider claimed that the whistleblower was Scott Swift, the singer’s 73-year-old father.

“Scott Swift did not want his daughter to be dragged into this any further, and he voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni’s team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor,” the insider informed the Daily Mail.

Amid the legal saga, Swift and Lively have reportedly “halted” their relationship.

“Their friendship has halted,” a source told People Magazine earlier in the month. “Taylor wants no part in this drama.”

According to a different source, Swift and Lively’s decision doesn’t mean that they are “no longer friends” but are only “taking some space” amid the drama.

Still, it is expected that it would take a lot of time for the duo to reconnect fully, as the ongoing feud has not only left Swift “completely floored” but also “very upset.”

The singer’s anger with the legal drama is also said to be fueled by Swift realizing that Lively has been using her name to boost her standing, a practice that has been allegedly ongoing for some time.

“Taylor has been aware that Blake has been exploiting her name for a while now, but this subpoena takes it to a whole new level,” a source told the Daily Mail.

Much like Swift’s rep, Lively’s legal team was also quick to criticize Baldoni’s lawyers for subpoenaing the singer, claiming that they continue to “publicly intimidate, bully, shame, and attack women’s rights and reputations.”

The former co-stars, Baldoni and Lively, are scheduled to face off in court on March 9, 2026.